Broadband router

[Dragon]

I have a talktalk router and am thinking of a backup in case.

Anyone any experience with the £30 Zoom DSL Wireless as sold in Tesco or should I buy a better brand like Netgear.

When I signed up with TalkTalk last August there was a discount of £30 toward a £70 Netgear router, not sure it still valid.

The good thing about buying electricals from Tesco is, if you are not happy with it you get your money back within 28 days if you don't like it.

Any advice?

 

[HughJarse]

As you asked for advice I shall stay on topic so as not lose this thread.
My advice is that you don't bother getting a backup and hopefully your talktalk one will break.

 

[robert.saunders]

naughty....

... but nice

 

[GRAV888]

As far as I can remember from recent posts, you don't have much luck with Tesco

 

[grober]

With routers you get what you pay for. Netgear and Linksys (a division of Cisco) are well established names. Both have backup websites. One of the things with wireless routers is their effective range which can vary from model to model. I suggest you do a bit searching on the net for user feedback. The Tesco one could be fine ----OR NOT.

 

[WLeg]

As this technology changes - both in terms of spec and cost - so fast, I would wait untill it breaks, and suffer without for a day, then buy a Linksys.

 

[timskemp]

Netgear 834G seems to work well all over for a basic wireless routers - every 834N I've bought has failed though. Personally I use an oddball Billion 7402R2 - does lots of business features like VPN termination and things and doesn't cost the earth.

 

[St George]

I have a talktalk router and am thinking of a backup in case.

Anyone any experience with the £30 Zoom DSL Wireless as sold in Tesco or should I buy a better brand like Netgear.

When I signed up with TalkTalk last August there was a discount of £30 toward a £70 Netgear router, not sure it still valid.

The good thing about buying electricals from Tesco is, if you are not happy with it you get your money back within 28 days if you don't like it.

Any advice?

Funny how someone who claims to know so much about computers asks such questions .

 

[HughJarse]

Funny how someone who claims to know so much about computers asks such questions .

Have you read the monitor thread... it just adds to this, apparently he's discovered theres DV not just anologue.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

I use a Netgear wired router. I'm lucky in that the cable runs are all very short. I have two desktop PCs (mine and Mrs300D's) permanently wired and an ethernet cable ready for either of our laptops.

If I absolutely had to use a wireless router, I would. However there are health concerns about wireless routers that are more serious than those for mobile phones. Perhaps the one that works through the 230V mains cables would be a good choice?

 

[Mark300SL]

If I absolutely had to use a wireless router, I would. However there are health concerns about wireless routers that are more serious than those for mobile phones.

Whilst I can understand concerns about the effects of compounding all different kinds of radiation, this is scaremongering in the extreme.

802.11b/g operates in the 2.4ghz band at a maximum allowable power output of 100Mw (external PTP) Most internal access points and wireless cards operate at about 30Mw.
Your microwave oven also operates in the 2.4Ghz band at a power of 7-800W but has an official allowed safe leakage around its seals of 1W - 10x the the MAXIMUM permitted power of the wireless device.
Wi-Fi power output varies in duty cycle depending on network traffic. With zero traffic, the duty cycle is something like 1/100th of the maximum. It wont run at full power until you are on a mjort download and it approaches 100% duty cycle.

I have just done a quick scan of my house and I can see 4 wireless networks that are not mine at extremely low power - does this mean I need to ask all my neighbours to turn their connections off as well ? - No because power absortion is an inverse square of range and by the time their signal gets to me it is so weak to be irrelevant even if you take the compounding of radiation absorbed into account.

I understand the the people who question the "Everyone is doing it and therefore it must be safe" attitude and its a sensible one to take. However from a tried and tested system operating to approved standards WiFi is very much safer than the mobile phone in your pocket/on your desk if you are only talking about radiation absorption. If the phone has bluetooth turned on then its actually doubling the "danger" as bluetooth is also 2.4Ghz!


Mark

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

Whilst I can understand concerns about the effects of compounding all different kinds of radiation, this is scaremongering in the extreme.

No, it isn't scaremongering at all. I said I would use wireless if I had to. I don't have to, so I use wired. Your reaction is misplaced and wholly disproportionate to what I wrote, and should be withdrawn.

There is an ongoing debate about the safety of wireless internet as there is about mobile phones. There is greater concern in some countries about wireless internet than there is about mobile phones. For example in Germany, parents are advised not to install wireless internet at home because it is considered more dangerous to children than using a mobile phone.

I make no comment on this as I don't have the necessary qualifications. I am merely reporting it, and I sincerely hope that does not cause yet another self-righteous outburst.

 

[Mark300SL]

No, it isn't scaremongering at all. I said I would use wireless if I had to.

I quoted that remark leaving the HAD in bold

There is an ongoing debate about the safety of wireless internet as there is about mobile phones.

I have no problem with healthy debate - however when the debate is based upon poor scientific content and is only there to appease ultra radical elements of society - possibly the same Green Germans that managed to insist on biodegradeable wiring harnesses for cars ? There is also a court case against a school in Canada, there are no damages to be awarded and no proof of any harm done despite extensive research. Your comment on phones is interesteing - did you read my bluetooth comment ?

I make no comment on this as I don't have the necessary qualifications. I am merely reporting it, and I sincerely hope that does not cause yet another self-righteous outburst.

Why a self-righteous outburst? You report a health scare when by your own admission you dont have a firm scientific basis to base that fear upon ?
I unfortunatley find myself reasonably qualified by default - it forms a large part of what I do for a living, and it has been my responsibility to ascertain the accuracy of any perceived dangers for the NHS and Education markets.
As a consequence I have had to spent a long time researching the possible health risks.

Opinions vary wildly, however all scientific research points to the current standars being completely safe.



Where I do have some fears is the ever increasing need for higher speed wireless connections. Any future high speed wireless standards will need a similar level of testing to ensure they are also safe.

Unfortunately I wont be around for a couple of days as I'm actually off to Dorset this Fathers day morning - to oversee the move and recomissioning of the main controllers of a large internal wireless network!

 

[timskemp]

Best thing about wired is it works. Reliable, fast, secure. Wireless is a means to an end but you can't beat a cable.

Homeplug is neat but quality no better than wireless.

 

[oldcro]

Not sure how much truth is in this video, but it does make you think about using your mobile phone. Take a look.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V94shlqPlSI

 

[whitenemesis]

There's a heater plate under the table.

Corn pops 'cos of heat not radiation, yes I know microwaves are radiation but ther's not enough moisture in corn the vibrate and cause heat.

Micrwave popcorn always has a metal film in the bottom of the pack.

 

[Howard]

We make popcorn in our microwave ( not the stuff in the bags ) ...

Just normal corn , we put it in a tupperware pot and cover it over loosely with a towel ...

Works fine , no metal in there at all ....

 

[whitenemesis]

you are right Howard, my daughters have also corrected my false statement......

Doesn't detract from the fact the vid is a set-up?

 

[Howard]

I didn't watch the vid ....

 

[HughJarse]

Thats a tripe viral made by cardosystems
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2100340/Mobile-phone-popcorn-'hoax'-hits-YouTube.html